Investigation into officer's death focused on couple's relationship

The investigation has shifted in the case of a Pembroke Pines police officer who was found shot to death inside his home.

The attention is now focused on the relationship between Officer Carl Patrick and his live-in girlfriend, Teniko Thompson, who is staying with her mother and still refusing to speak with detectives.

Earlier Tuesday, Thompson's mother may have opened up the lines of communication when she allowed investigators with the Broward County state attorney's office inside her home for a few minutes. But it turns out they were just there long enough to drop off some important papers -- not for Thompson, but for her family.

"I understand they got a subpoena to appear before the Pembroke Pines Police Department," family attorney Clinton Pitts said. "I'm going to find out why they got the subpoena, and I'm going to appear with them and find out what the police department wants to know."

What police want to know is what happened inside Patrick's house in Pembroke Pines last week. He was found shot to death Friday.

"There was a struggle and the gun went off during the struggle," Thompson's attorney, Rod Vereen, said. "He had his finger on the trigger. She did not."

Thompson is a public service aide with the city of Miami.

According to her attorney, she was living with Patrick and was abused for the past couple of years. Vereen said Patrick pulled his service revolver and terrorized Thompson with it the day of the shooting.

"My client was acting in self-defense," Vereen said. "She defended herself and, at the end of day, she did not pull the trigger on that firearm. He pulled the trigger himself."

Late Tuesday afternoon, Thompson's sisters and mother took a trip to the state attorney's office, but they haven't shared what was discussed.

"Now you don't think I'm going to tell you what they told me, do you?" Pitts said. "No, but you all heard of attorney-client privilege."

Copyright 2014 by Local10.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Comments

The views expressed are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the Terms Of Service and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms.